Knox Council sloooooooooowwwww

Hi all

We have just lodged some plans for pre-app approval/comment with Knox Council and it is taking ages to get any feedback. Perhaps I am deluded with ideas that planning departments have SLA's for getting back to people? I can't understand how a department firstly be very inconsistent (original plans for apartment build were encouraged only to be shot down in first preapp?), and now revised townhouse plans taking forever to even get a look in? And secondly promise to get back to our designer and then just ignore that promise for several weeks....

Please let me know if this is others experience or whether I should consider perhaps the planner assigned has a personal grudge with our designer? What can I do to get them to hurry up

Thanks
Jerky
 
Pre-application queries often find their way to the bottom of the pile unfortunately, particularly when you have not booked in a face to face meeting. I would suggest your drafty or planner contact the co-ordinator or a planner who they have previously worked with in that particular council to expedite a response!
 
Another consultant planner here, as far as I am aware statutory timeframes for Council response only apply once you have formally lodged an application.

2nd the above point however that organising face-to-face meetings for your pre-app discussions can really help.
:)
 
Pre-application queries often find their way to the bottom of the pile unfortunately, particularly when you have not booked in a face to face meeting. I would suggest your drafty or planner contact the co-ordinator or a planner who they have previously worked with in that particular council to expedite a response!

Good advice. Knox are incredibly slow and painful to deal with. Many planners/consultants dred dealing with them. Once properly lodged, keep your eye on the 60 day rule :)
 
Thanks Nash and Oc1, didn't know about the 60 day rule. Will check that out!

Councils quote that 60 days for Planning Permit Applications. I've found that with some councils this is interpreted as a "guideline" as we have had applications waiting up to 12 months. Unbelievable.
 
Councils quote that 60 days for Planning Permit Applications. I've found that with some councils this is interpreted as a "guideline" as we have had applications waiting up to 12 months. Unbelievable.

Guideline??? The rules are clear Stacey. There is a formula Vcat use. You can find this on their website. If the council is giving you grief and you are confident in your design sometimes the only option IS to go to Vcat. Wait time is a shocker at the moment though....8 or so months.

One particular council I do a lot of work in Victoria disregard the planners (council planner looking after your application that is) advice just after one objection for any multi unit development. You are at Vcat 99% of the time. So there's no point waiting for a refusal if council have been slow and you have ticked over the 60 day mark. Other councils I deal with aren't as annoying where up to 5 objections is still ok. In this case it pays to wait that bit longer if necessary, especially given the wait time at Vcat.

We all know never to assume what a council officer/planner says is correct. If in doubt ask a town planning lawyer.
 
Guideline??? The rules are clear Stacey. There is a formula Vcat use. You can find this on their website. If the council is giving you grief and you are confident in your design sometimes the only option IS to go to Vcat. Wait time is a shocker at the moment though....8 or so months.

One particular council I do a lot of work in Victoria disregard the planners (council planner looking after your application that is) advice just after one objection for any multi unit development. You are at Vcat 99% of the time. So there's no point waiting for a refusal if council have been slow and you have ticked over the 60 day mark. Other councils I deal with aren't as annoying where up to 5 objections is still ok. In this case it pays to wait that bit longer if necessary, especially given the wait time at Vcat.

We all know never to assume what a council officer/planner says is correct. If in doubt ask a town planning lawyer.

Hi Oc1,

Yes I am quite aware they are the set rules, hence the inverted commas around "guideline". It seems this 60 day period gets broken time and time again. Suffice to say it is frustrating for everyone involved, and I'm just the surveyor! I imagine that it's more frustrating for private planners.

As you say, VCAT is also a long and arduous wait also. Last time I went it was about a 5-6 month wait, clearly with more people lodging objections it has been pushed up significantly.

Your last line has hit the nail on the head. It's a bit of a roll of the dice asking council planners for help. I've frequently been given various answers for simple planning queries.

Cheers,
Ashley
 
The planning & environment act states that Council must make a decision (grant/refuse) on a planning permit application within 60 days. If this is not done the applicant has the right to seek a review by VCAT for 'failure to decide'.

The 60 day clock stops during advertising and when a request for further information is outstanding, which accounts for much of the delay for the average applicant.

The 60 day rule may be an aspiration, but not be realistic in some circumstances where officer workloads are high and pre-application advice is hard to come by, its a vicious cycle!
 
Hahahahahahaaa

Knox... I been doing TP applications with them every day for the last 4 and a half years. Know every planner in there pretty well.

Give me a PM with who your drafting service is (I know a few of them well) and when you get allocated a planner who they are.

Pending a few things this is a time frame you can expect from Knox

2-3 weeks for Pre app
4-6 weeks for section 54
1-2 weeks for them to prepare advertising
14 days advertising
6-9 weeks for a decision (planning permit or Notice of decision)
9-15 weeks for endosed plans

Note all timeframes are what I would consider good time frames for Knox. I have not allowed time for your drafting service in between stages.

I usually find 6 months for a planning permit and 3 months for endorsed plans is a great outcome considering land surveyor, drafting company (design/drawings etc), then for endorsed plans (Landscaping draftie and Driveway engineer).
Doesnt take much to blow that out into 12-18 months, expecially if you get planners which keep leaving (hence job gets reallocated a few times) or you are pushing for an ambitious development.

I can recomend a Landscaping draftie and a few Engineers for Drainage when the time comes and tell you to stear well clear of a few others (getting the right drainage engineer will save you 9 months of heartache)

BTW Knox are the worst council in the whole of Melbourne for their drainage requirements. Designs often need to hold so much detention that it is not uncommon for simple battle axe blocks with jsut a simple unit on the rear of an existing for draiange systems to run into 15K.
If you want to subdivide prior installing the drainage you need to pay a 200% bond. (ie 30K bond)

Keep in touch and tell me how things go.
 
The 60 day rule may be an aspiration, but not be realistic in some circumstances where officer workloads are high and pre-application advice is hard to come by, its a vicious cycle!

About 2 years ago I had 3 applications with Knox where advertising was finished and they were over 120 days before they made a decision. Thanfully they are better now.
 
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